Masala Mac & Cheese

Like most other kids, my boys have loved Mac and Cheese since they were old enough to chew. I remember making a trip to India when my son was a toddler, armed with packages of Mac & Cheese. My boys still love Mac and Cheese, but at 17 and 14, they are all grown up and deserve something familiar, but a bit more adventurous. This Masala Mac and Cheese combines the techniques of making a curry and a béchamel and blends it together to create a great new twist to this recipe. This is also a great recipe to introduce your kids to new flavours by sneaking it into something familiar.

In this recipe the technique of making a curry and a béchamel are fused together to create something a bit more sophisticated. Since my boys love some protein, I’m adding chicken in this recipe, but you could easily make it without. You can also customize this recipe by choosing a different type of pasta or a combination of cheese – just have fun with it!

Ingredients

1 lb chicken cut in small pieces

1 onion chopped

1 tsp garlic paste

1 tsp each cumin & chili powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

2 tomatoes (about 1.5 cups)

4 tbsps butter

4 tbsps all-purpose flour

4 cups milk

1 cup grated Asiago cheese

400gms fusili noodles

2 cups grated mozzarella and cheddar

Process

Heat some oil in a sauté pan and sauté the onion

Once the onion has browned, add the chicken, followed by the spices, garlic paste and tomatoes

Add salt and cover to cook

Uncover and take out of pan and keep aside

In the same pan melt the butter and stir in the flour to form a roux

Add the milk in a little at a time, stirring to remove lumps

When it’s all dissolved, add the grated Asiago

While the béchamel is thickening, boil the pasta according to the package instructions and drain

Tip the pasta into the béchamel, together with the masala base and combine

Add to a bake proof dish, cover with 2 cups of cheese and bake till the cheese has melted and golden